I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Sky Full of Dragons by Tiffany McDaniel Series: The Wand Keepers #1
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers on September 24, 2024
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Fantasy & Magic
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: Author
Goodreads
Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Libro.fm
For younger fans of Witchlings and Eva Evergreen comes a light-hearted and whimsical middle grade fantasy about a young girl who must save her witch aunt from an uncommonly voracious hat.
Where dragons take flight, through the dark of the night. Where the fire ignites, you will find the light.
Aunt Cauldroneyes is always looking into cauldrons. She’s found everything from giggling moons to troll nose rings, but when she looks inside a purple cauldron one stormy night, she finds a girl with blue freckles.
The old witch raises the girl and names her Spella. They live in Hungry Snout Forest in a crooked house with doors enchanted to smell like chocolate. In the attic full of floating fabric and biting buttons, Aunt Cauldroneyes teaches Spella how to make magical hats for creatures like unicorns and dragons, giants and goblins.
When Spella turns eight, she receives an invitation to Dragon’s Knob, a school for wand witchery and wizardry. But on the very night Spella is set to leave, a stranger appears with a growling hat that swallows Aunt Cauldroneyes and steals her away!
To rescue her aunt, Spella must go up into a sky full of dragons and to her new school. With protesters outside the gates threatening the school’s academic freedom and a deepening mystery within the walls, Spella and her new friend Tolden are thrust into the mystery of her aunt’s disappearance and a long-buried secret hidden somewhere in the school.
This was fantastic! I fell in love with Tiffany McDaniels’s writing after reading her debut novel, The Summer That Melted Everything. I couldn’t wait to see what she would do with a middle-grade novel and I am happy to report that it is everything I hoped it would be. This magical, whimsical tale should appeal to children and adults, really anyone who enjoys highly creative stories with a lot of heart.
Spella, with her blue freckles, was found in a cauldron as an infant by Aunt Cauldroneyes. They live in a small house with their mummified cat, Egypt, making magical hats with big personalities. Spella accidentally lets in a growling hat that swallows Aunt Cauldroneyes and takes her away. This happens just before she is to leave for Dragon’s Knob, a school for wand magic. Spella must find her way at her new school while also trying to figure out what happened to Aunt Cauldroneyes.
Spella was an easy character to like. She is smart, works hard, and cares about those around her. I had a great time watching her learn new things at school while making new friends. This imaginative story included everything from shape-shifting dodos to magical sandwiches. Even the footnotes were entertaining and whimsical, sharing explanations and suggestions with the reader alongside artwork of feet or shoes of various styles.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I was quickly pulled into Spella’s magical world and wanted to see her succeed at school, make friends, and find her Aunt Cauldroneyes. Once I started reading, I didn’t want to put this book down and look forward to many more adventures in this series.
Available in hardcover and paperback September 24, 2024!
I received a review copy of this book from the author and Simon & Schuester Books for Young Readers.
Great cover. I don’t read much in this age genre but so glad you enjoyed it.
Awww cute cover 😀 I want it
Oh this looks fun! I love adventure type Middle Grade books and it has been too long since I read one.